EAST BRIDGEWATER MA July 24 2013
If you live in Rockland, a special police officer can wear a police uniform, carry a firearm, drive a police cruiser, pull you over for a motor vehicle stop, and arrest you.
The 20 special police officers, who volunteer their time but can work paid details, are “invaluable” to the town’s regular police force, said Rockland police Lt. Nick Zeoli.
“They perform a lot of tasks that our officers don’t have the ability to do due to our staffing levels,” Zeoli said.
“It’s a great program for us. It works very well,” he said.
Several communities, including Easton, Avon, Rockland, Bridgewater, Middleboro, Raynham, West Bridgewater, Whitman and Holbrook, have special police officers or auxiliary officers, and their duties can vary by community.
The responsibilities of special police officers can range from helping out at town parades to bringing a prisoner to a hospital to working a detail at a construction site, officials said.
In Holbrook, auxiliary officers assist at town parades and during any emergencies, Holbrook Police Chief William Marble said. Weekend nights they assist regular police officers. The volunteer officers pay for their firearms, gun belts, uniforms, and the Police Department pays for their vests, Marble said.
Auxiliary officers can graduate to a special police officer position, and work paid details that are first offered to police union members, Marble said.
Special police officers receive training before taking on the job, officials said. The length and location of training varies by community. In Rockland, for example, special police officers undergo training at a reserve academy in Plymouth for six to eight weeks.
In Easton, special police officers complete training at South Suburban Police Institute in Foxboro, and also undergo 21 hours of in-service training for two years, said Police Chief Allen Krajcik.
Special police officers pay for their uniforms, firearms, and training fees, Krajcik said.
“They have all the powers of a regular police officer,” he said.
East Bridgewater, in the past, has prohibited special police officers without a law enforcement background from carrying a firearm, said former Police Chief John L. Silva Jr.
“The only ones provided guns were ex-cops,” Silva said.
It was unclear last week if that policy still applies in East Bridgewater. Current police chief, John Cowan, did not respond to calls for comment .
The 20 special police officers, who volunteer their time but can work paid details, are “invaluable” to the town’s regular police force, said Rockland police Lt. Nick Zeoli.
“They perform a lot of tasks that our officers don’t have the ability to do due to our staffing levels,” Zeoli said.
“It’s a great program for us. It works very well,” he said.
Several communities, including Easton, Avon, Rockland, Bridgewater, Middleboro, Raynham, West Bridgewater, Whitman and Holbrook, have special police officers or auxiliary officers, and their duties can vary by community.
The responsibilities of special police officers can range from helping out at town parades to bringing a prisoner to a hospital to working a detail at a construction site, officials said.
In Holbrook, auxiliary officers assist at town parades and during any emergencies, Holbrook Police Chief William Marble said. Weekend nights they assist regular police officers. The volunteer officers pay for their firearms, gun belts, uniforms, and the Police Department pays for their vests, Marble said.
Auxiliary officers can graduate to a special police officer position, and work paid details that are first offered to police union members, Marble said.
Special police officers receive training before taking on the job, officials said. The length and location of training varies by community. In Rockland, for example, special police officers undergo training at a reserve academy in Plymouth for six to eight weeks.
In Easton, special police officers complete training at South Suburban Police Institute in Foxboro, and also undergo 21 hours of in-service training for two years, said Police Chief Allen Krajcik.
Special police officers pay for their uniforms, firearms, and training fees, Krajcik said.
“They have all the powers of a regular police officer,” he said.
East Bridgewater, in the past, has prohibited special police officers without a law enforcement background from carrying a firearm, said former Police Chief John L. Silva Jr.
“The only ones provided guns were ex-cops,” Silva said.
It was unclear last week if that policy still applies in East Bridgewater. Current police chief, John Cowan, did not respond to calls for comment .
source- enterprisenews.com